CALIBOGIE, ON - JULY 19 2026: The NASCAR Canada Series NAPA 150 Calibogie Motorsports Park in Calibogie, Ontario, Canada on Saturday July 19, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Manor/NASCAR)
Photo Credit: Matthew Manor

Mid-Season Recap: Drivers’, Owners’ and Rookie Battles Head Into the Final Stretch

After nine races across four provinces, the NASCAR Canada Series reaches the midway point of the 2026 season with five events remaining.

The series has visited Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia and Alberta, racing on road courses and short ovals through three doubleheader weekends. Along the way, four different drivers have reached Victory Lane, while the battles for the drivers’, owners’ and rookie championships continue into the final stretch of the season.

Camirand Leads the Drivers’ Championship

Marc-Antoine Camirand sits atop the drivers’ championship with 397 points after recording five victories during the opening half of the season. Driving the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet, Camirand swept both races at Autodrome Chaudière and Autodrome Montmagny before adding another win in the second race at Edmonton International Raceway.

Kevin Lacroix ranks second in the standings with 343 points after victories at Riverside International Speedway and Edmonton International Raceway, followed by L.P. Dumoulin, D.J. Kennington and rookie Connor Bell.

Four Winners Through Nine Races

The season opened at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where Gary Klutt earned the victory in the CarGurus 200. Camirand followed with consecutive sweeps at Autodrome Chaudière and Autodrome Montmagny, collecting four wins through the first six races of the season.

Kevin Lacroix then took the checkered flag at Riverside International Speedway before Alex Tagliani returned to Victory Lane for the first time since 2023 at Calabogie Motorsports Park, giving the No. 80 team its first win of the season.

The final doubleheader at Edmonton International Raceway saw Lacroix capture the opening race, while Camirand closed out the weekend with his fifth victory of the season in the second race.

Owners’ Championship

The No. 96 team of Jean-Claude Paillé leads the owners’ championship with 397 points through the opening nine races.

Donald Theetge’s No. 80 team ranks second after a strong first half of the season, highlighted by four podium finishes with Theetge behind the wheel and a victory at Calabogie Motorsports Park with Alex Tagliani driving the entry.

The No. 74 team of Sylvain Lacroix, the No. 47 team of Tony Page and the No. 17 team of D.J. Kennington round out the top five entering the final five races of the season.

Rookie of the Year Battle

Connor Bell continues to lead the JOSTENS Rookie of the Year standings with 301 points, while William Larue sits second with 279 points.

Both drivers have put together strong rookie campaigns through the opening nine races. Bell has scored consistently throughout the season, while Larue has recorded four podium finishes, including runner-up results at Autodrome Chaudière, Autodrome Montmagny and Edmonton International Raceway.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 NASCAR Canada season resumes next week on the streets of Trois-Rivières for the 45 Tours CarGurus before heading to another street circuit at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy in Markham.

The series will then return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for its final road course event before concluding the season at Delaware Speedway.

With five races remaining, the 2026 NASCAR Canada champions will be decided over the final stretch of the season.

Follow the second half of the 2026 NASCAR Canada season on REV TV, TVA Sports (or TVA Sports 2) and the NASCAR Canada YouTube channel.